from PHYLLISI BIRORI in Kigali, Rwanda
Rwanda Bureau
KIGALI, (CAJ News) – AFRICA’S food security challenge is increasingly a technology challenge, according to a major new continental report launched in Kigali, Rwanda, which calls on governments to accelerate the adoption of digital and scientific innovation across agrifood systems.
The 2025 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR 2025) argues that Africa’s ability to feed itself will depend less on discovering new inventions and more on scaling existing technologies effectively.
Published by AKADEMIYA2063 through the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS), the report, titled “Moving the Technology Frontiers in African Agrifood Systems”, identifies hundreds of underutilised tools already capable of transforming production, harvesting, processing and distribution.
These include digital farming platforms, precision agriculture, AI-driven analytics, geospatial mapping, biotechnology and climate-smart mechanisation.
The study highlights technology as a critical enabler of productivity, efficiency and resilience.
AI and remote sensing can support early warning systems, optimise input use and improve climate risk management, while digital advisory tools can deliver real-time guidance to farmers at scale.
Biotechnology and improved seed systems offer pathways to close yield gaps, while innovations such as aquaponics, insect-based protein and circular-economy solutions create new, resource-efficient production models.
“The technology frontier is not a single breakthrough, but the integration of biological, digital, engineering, ecological and institutional innovations,” said Dr Ousmane Badiane, Executive Chairperson of AKADEMIYA2063.
“With the right governance and investment, these technologies can sustainably raise productivity and reduce costs across agrifood value chains,” Dr. Badiane added.
A key finding of the report is that Africa’s technology gap is driven more by weak adoption systems than by a lack of innovation.
Fragmented regulation limited digital infrastructure and insufficient financing continue to slow deployment.
To address this, the report calls for stronger research institutions, predictable policy environments and public–private partnerships that can move technologies from pilot projects to national scale.
The report introduces two new data-driven indices to guide investment decisions.
The Untapped Potential Index highlights countries with strong readiness for AI- and geospatial-enabled agriculture but low current adoption, while the Agricultural R&D System Capacity Index measures the effectiveness of national research systems beyond spending levels.
“The Kampala Declaration recognises the role of science and innovation in transforming Africa’s agrifood systems,” said H.E. Moses Vilakati, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture.
“This report provides evidence on how frontier technologies can be governed and scaled to deliver food security, inclusive growth and climate adaptation.”
As the Kampala CAADP Agenda enters implementation from 2026, the report positions technology not as an optional add-on, but as the backbone of Africa’s future food systems.
– CAJ News